j + j travelblog

Out of Africa

Thus concludes our adventures on the African continent, and most recently Egypt. Speaking of which, by way of recap, a look at our circuitous route 'round the cradle of civilization:

And, the recap of likes/dislikes as follows:

Stuff we found endearing about Egypt:

• Antiquities per sq inch: the sheer amount and accessibility of ancient, ANCIENT history is at once mind-blowing and humbling.
• Red Sea Diving: our fave spot thus far, and we've been to a few stellar dive spots
• The White Desert: I felt like I was on the set of the original (i.e. not the crappy "episode I/II") star wars...our guide didn't get it when I kept calling for "Uncle Owen" and AUnt Veru" (come to think of it, neither did Janet...I'm a geek, I know)
• Sheeshas: cherry flavored tobacco out of a 4 ft, hookah? yum.
• Cairo: sure it's big, crowded and a bit overwhelming but it has the energy of NYC with a fraction of the crime and a helluva lot more history
• The Nile: the bright blue swath bordered by vivid green and the stark desert...pretty cool
• Music: for the most part...we dug the heck out of it
• The food (Janet): she's a sucker for falafel, hummus and the like (I thought it rather bland...if it doesn't cause a rush of endorphins, why bother snaking on it?)
• Cheap, Cheap: Cheapest since SE Asia
• The Arabic alphabet: while it occasionally made getting around challenging, I find the character set fascinating
• Hibiscus juice: red & refreshing

Stuff that fell somewhere on the amusing >> annoying >> disturbing scale:

• "The Hassle": is how Mark Twain described it...relentless touts trying to sell you something...ANYTHING. "Hey, Rambo, where you from? You lucky man! Come into my shop! Free to look!". Man did it get annoying...
• Crossing the street: the only time we felt at risk in Egypt was crossing the street. Our first day a Carien advised us to "close our eyes, walk into the street and pray to Allah" when crossing. There are very few stop lights...you literally need to step out into oncoming traffic or wait til the wee hours to get where you want to be
• Lack of skin: in all seriousness, Janet and I could not come to terms with the veil. We talked with more than a few Egyptians about it but we cannot accept women covering up to "save their beauty for their husbands." It's repressive and even -- one might argue -- vain in a twisted sort of way.
• Hordes of tourists: man I hate tourists....being amongst the throngs of annoying gapers and people ignoring pleas to respect their surroundings was about all I could handle
• Pollution: with so many people crowded into such a small area (highest population density of anywhere in the world) and little environmental controls...
• The "soft sell": not so white lies that crafty touts will use to get you into a shop ("Oh that Internet Cafe does not open until 6 PM, why not step in to this shop for a cool tea and...")
• Baksheesh: most Egyptians -- at least in touristy areas -- expect a tip for just about anything...from letting you take photos where you're not supposed to, to showing you the obvious.